NPP petitions New York Times over Kevin Taylors’ ‘slanderous’ video broadcasts

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has filed a formal complaint with the New York Times, over an attempt by one of its employees Marisa Schwartz Taylor and her husband, to damage the reputation of President Akufo-Addo.

A letter addressed to the Africa Editor of the New York Times, Laurie Goodstein, accused Mrs Taylor a female photojournalist working with the paper, and her Ghanaian husband, Kevin Taylor, of producing a series of video documentaries to peddle falsehood against the President and members of his government.

Kevin Taylor, through his productions company, ‘Loud Silence’, has been releasing weekly video documentaries dubbed ‘With All Due Respect’ on controversial issues which are then circulated on social media platforms.

But the governing party in its letter signed by Communications Director, Yaw Buaben Asamoah, wants the New York Times to formally and publicly dissociate itself from the work of Loud Silence Media.

The letter was emphatic this is the first in a series of measures the NPP will undertake to ensure the reputation of the President, government and the country is not undermined.

Read the letter below:

26th July, 2019

LAURIE GOODSTEIN

AFRICA EDITOR

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Dear Madam,

LETTER OF COMPLAINT

RE: Productions of Marisa Schwartz Taylor\Loud Silence

On behalf of the New Patriotic Party in Ghana, I am officially lodging a complaint against Mrs. Marisa Schwartz Taylor, the Washington Bureau Photo Editor of your reputable newspaper, The New York Times.

Over the last 12 months, Mrs. Taylor and her husband Kelvin Taylor, both domiciled in the United States of America, have through their highly partisan and provocative production company, Loud Silence Media, persistently vilified, maligned and slandered the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, key members of his government and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Under the guise of what they claim to be investigative journalism, Mrs. Taylor and her husband have, on a weekly basis, through video documentaries broadcast across the world via internet, deliberately, recklessly and repeatedly peddled false and unsubstantiated allegations aimed at damaging the reputation of our President, his government and Ghana.

Without prejudice to any potential defamatory action against the two persons, the NPP had decided not to respond directly to the output to avoid lending credibility to the reckless and libellous enterprise. We are, nevertheless, dismayed, to gather that Mrs. Taylor, a co-founder, manager and director of photography of Loud Silence Media, holds such an important position with your esteemed newspaper, which cloaks her with the inherent reputation of the paper. As Photo Editor at the New York Times, there is minimum expectation that her work, any work she is associated with, would be thorough, factual and balanced.

Consequently, we are asking the New York Times to formally and publicly dissociate itself from the work of Loud Silence Media. This we believe, will not only clear up the confusion in Ghana about the wrongful association of the New York Times with Loud Silence Media, but most importantly, protect the integrity of highly valued and independent reporting the New York Times is known for.

Below are links to some of the output from Loud Silence Media, the production house that is the subject of this complaint.

https://www.facebook.com/LoudSilenceMedia/videos/2156629254627425/

https://www.facebook.com/LoudSilenceMedia/videos/2062628777378120/

https://www.facebook.com/LoudSilenceMedia/videos/681686265609963/

https://www.facebook.com/LoudSilenceMedia/videos/385519815647626/

https://www.facebook.com/LoudSilenceMedia/videos/2362399547342034/

https://www.facebook.com/LoudSilenceMedia/videos/477598313002459/

https://www.facebook.com/LoudSilenceMedia/videos/323076228367689/

https://www.facebook.com/LoudSilenceMedia/videos/299351520743538/

Kindly treat this letter as the first step of a series of measures we will undertake to ensure the reputation of our President, government and the good people of Ghana is not undermined.